Pin-spotting mechanism.



W M PARROW JR PIN SPOTTING MECHANISM.

' APPLIOATION FILED mum, 1912. 1,041,055, Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

W. M. FARROW, JR- PIN SPOTTING MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION rum) MABA, 1912.

Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

3 SHEETS-BEBE? 2.

W. M. FARROW, J11. PIN SPOTTING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED MABA, 1912.

Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ATTORNEY WITNESSES WILLARD M. FARROW, JR., OF

WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

PIN-SPOTTING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15,1912.

Application filed March 4, 1912. Serial No. 681,571.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLARD M. FARROW, J r., a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, and a resident of the city of Washington, in theDistrict of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Pin-Spotting Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful im rovements in pinspotters or setters of that class embodying a movably mounted plateadapted for cooperation with the pins and movable away therefrom afterthe pins have been spotted.

The present invention has for its objects among others to provide asimplified and improved device for this purpose in which the plate ismounted for oscillatory movement in contradistinction to a verticaldirect movement, and as the plate is oscillated it is maintained in ahorizontal position so that when in its elevated position it is exposedto the View of the bowler not in a vertical position but so that theedge only thereof is visible.

It has for a further object to so mount the plate that when the latteris thrown into its elevated position, it will be moved into a path orplane out of the vertical plane through the foremost pin so that alldanger of the pins being thrown up into contact with the plate iseliminated.

I provide a special construction whereby the plate is maintained in itshorizontal position during its movement from its lowermost to itsuppermost limit, and counterweight the same so that it is automaticallyheld in its elevated position.

I alsoprovide means whereby the same plate may be employed for use in'connection with pins of different sizes.

I aim further at improvements in the details of construction wherebybetter results are attained, cheapness of manufacture is assured,together with positiveness in action, and the liability of injuryreduced to a mlnimum.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appearand the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

The invention is capable of embodiment in a variety of forms, some ofthe preferred ones of which only are herein illustrated,

but which are deemed sufiicient to make clear the embodiment ofthe'invention and its mode of operation.

The invention, in such preferred forms, is clearly illustrated in the.accompanying drawings, which, with the numerals of reference markedthereon, form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is aperspective View of a portion of the alley bed with my improvementapplied, portions being broken away. Fig. 2 .is a vertical longitudinalsection as on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar verticallongitudinal section showing the plate arranged for coiiperation withthe smaller or duck pins. Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 3 withthe bed of the alley removed. F'g. 5 is a side elevation showing theplate in its elevated position. Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the formshown in Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a side elevation showing a modified form. 1

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the differentviews. eferring to the drawings, 1 designates the bed of the alley whichmay be of any well known or approved form of construction, 2 being thegutter thereof and 3 the pit.

4 in Figs. 1 and 2 are the ordinary ten-pins,

while 5 in Figs. 3 and 5 are the smaller pins known as duck pins. Myinvention is desi ed for use in connection with pins of eit er size. Iwill first describe it as designed for use in connection with the largerms. p Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, 6 is a plate having therein openi s 7,ten innumber, of course, of a size a d apted to receive and cod eratewith the lar or pins 4. This plate is esigned to be hel in itshorizontal position in proximity to the bed of the alley, as seen inFig. 1, by any suitable means, one form of which I have hereinillustrated and which comprises a depending rigid member 8 having anotch 9, said member being, secured in any well known way to the u perface of the plate, as seen in Fig. 1, w ere it is shown as solderedthereto, although this, as will be evident, is but one way in which thismay be aifixed in position. Cooperating with the notch of this member 8is the hooked member 10 of a pivoted member 11 fulerumed at 12 on theend of the a i a.

bed of the alley, 13 being a spring contacting with a pin 14 in the endof the bed of the alley and tending normally to keep the pivoted member11 in the position in which it is shown in Fig. 1, namely with thehooked member in engagement with the notch of the member 8, so as tohold the plate in its lowermost position. When it is desired todisengage the plate, pressure on the free end of the arm of the levercompresses the spring and removes the hooked member of the lever fromits engagement with the notch of the member 8 in a manner which will bereadily understood. This lever maybe operated by the hand or the foot ofthe boy setting the pins. This plate is mounted for oscillatory movementin the following manner. Rising from the sides thereof at the midlengthof the plate, are the lugs or ears 15 which may be integral therewlth orrigidly afiixed thereto in any well known manner and loosely received inthese ears is the transverse rod 16 on which the ears have free pivotalmovement. The ends of this rod extend beyond the ears, and rigidlyaflixed to these extended ends in any suitable manner are the ends ofthe side arms 17, as seen in Fig. 1. These arms have their other endspivotally mounted, as at 18, in suitable ears or .he like 19 rising'fromthe sides of the bed of the alley, as seen clearly in Fig. 1. These armsare ofi'set outward, as at 20, and again offset, as at 21, see Fig. 1,so that the arms extend for a portion of their length parallel to and invertical alinement with the sides of the alley, and their portionsadjacent their pivotal connections with the plate extend in a planeparallel to and in close proximity with the sides of the plate, wherebythe required oscillatory movement is better obtained.

In order to support the plate 6 .at the proper distance from the bed ofthe alley, so that the holes therein shall embrace the pins atsubstantially their greatest diameter and also to guard against thewalls of the openings in the plate contacting with the pins w entheplate is elevated, I provide suitable means, as the pins 22, whichdepend from the under side of the plate, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3, whichpins come in contact with the upper face of the bed of the alley, aswill be readily understood upon reference to Fig. 2.

The plate 6 is counterbalanced, in this instance, by means of theweights 23 which are mounted to slide upon the vertical posts or rods 24sup-ported at their lower ends in any suitable manner upon the sides ofthe bed of the alley, preferably at a point in close proximity to thepivots of the arms 17 carrying the plate, as seen in Fig. 1. These postsor rods are joined at their upper ends by a transverse member 25 which,however, may be omitted in some cases, the pe ends plate starts of therods 24 being supported or braced in any suitable manner, dependent uponthe conditions where the device is to be applied. 26 are. cords, chainsor the like, having one end attached, as at 27, to the plate 6 at oneend, that toward the pit, and their other ends connected in any suitablemanner, .as at 28, with the counterbalance weights 23, these cords orchains passing over suitable pulleys 29 supported in any suitable mannernear the upper ends of the rods 24, as will be clearly understood uponreference to Fig. 1. The cords 26 have connected therewith, as-at 30,the shorter cords 31, the other ends of which are connected in anysuitable manner, as at 32, to the sides of the plate 6 near the frontend thereof, that is the end nearest the bowler. These shorter cords orchains 31 are of such a length as to be slack, as indicated in Fig. 1,when the plate is in its lowermost horizontal position, that shown insaid 1, for a purpose which will soon be made apparent.

Rising from the plate 6, near its front end, is an arm 33 terminating'ina horizontal portion 34 which extends outward beyond or over theadjacent portion of the arm 17, as seen in Fig. 1, for a purpose whichwill hereinafter be explained.

With the parts constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbeforedescribed, the operation of this form of the invention will be asfollows: Normally, that is during the process of bowling, the plate isin its elevated position, that indicated in Fig. 5. When the pins are tobe set, the plate is brought down into its horizontal position where itis automatically locked by engagement of the member 8 with the hookedmember of the lever, as seen'in Fig. 1. The pins are then set upon thespots through the holes 7 in the plate 6 and when all is in readiness,the pin boy moves the lever 11 so as to disengage its hooked member fromthe notch of the member 8, when the weights automatically move the plateupward. As the to move upward, the horizontal arm 34, together with theslack in the short cords 31, serves to keep the plate in a substantiallyhorizontal position and prevent its being tipped up into a vertical orinclined position. After the plate has moved a short distance, the cords31 are drawn taut and the arm 34 moves out of engagement with the arm 17and the weights continue to draw the plate into its uppermost position,which is that seen in Fig. 5. By the peculiar manner of mounting of theplate in connection with the slack in the short cords 31 and theoperation of the arm 34 in keeping the plate horizontal, it isoscillated from its lowermost horizontal position into its uppermostposition. and during all of such movement, the plate is retained insubstantially horizontal position and when elevated it presentspractically no obstruction to the view of the bowler. The plate is somounted that as it moves from its lowermost position, it is first raisedsubstantially vertically at its initial movement so as to clear the pinsand hence there is no danger whatever of moving the pins from theirproper position on the spots on the bed of the alley.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a construction similar to that above describedwherein similar movement of the plate is obtained, that is the plate isadapted to have an oscillatory movement but atall times maintained in ahorizontal position. In this form, I employ the arms 17, as in the formjust described, the same being pivotally mounted, as at 16, upon theears 15 of the plate 6 and at 18 upon the lugs 19 on the bed 1 of the Ialley.v Instead, however, of employing the are attached, as at 41, tothe counterbalance weights 23 slidable upon the rods 24, as in the priorconstruction. The plate 6 is held down in its lowermost position by themember 8 and lever 11, as in the form shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, andwhen this lever is disengaged from the member 8, the counterbalanceweights pull the plate into theposition indicated in dotted lines inFig. 7, the plate, by reason of the pivotal connections shown and justdescribed, assuming during all of its movement a horizontal position. Inthis construction, the arms 35 serve the same function as the loosecords 31 in the form shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

I provide suitable means whereby the device is adapted for use inconnection with the larger or smaller pins, as beforemcntioned, and thismeans is applicable to both of the forms of plate-moving device, as itpertains solely to the plate and not to the means whereby the latter ismoved. This feature of construction will be best understood uponreference to Figs. 1 to 4 and Fig. 6, in which it will be seen that theplate 6 has its edges underturned, as at 42, forming guides as well as asupport for the under plate 43 which is movably mounted therein inthedirection of the length of the alley. This plate is provided withopenings 44 of a size corresponding to the openings 7 in the top plate6, so that when the plate 43 is in such position relatively to the plate6 that the holes 7 and 44 of the two plates are coincident, the platecan be used withthe larger pins. The plate 43 is further provided withsimilar holes 45 for receiving the smaller pins 5, as seen in Fig. 3.When the plate is moved from its full line position in Fig. 4 to itsdotted line position, in which latter position it is seen in full linesin Fig. 3,the openings 45 of the plate 43 are brought coincident withthe openings 7 .in the plate 6, the openings 45 bemg, as will be readilyunderstood, of a size correspondin to that of the pins 5, and when theplate 6 1S raised, the said plate will clear the pins which will be leftstanding exactly upon the spots on the bed of the alley. In order topermit of this slight movement of the plate 43, it is provided with aslot 46, as seen in Fig. 4, which slot is coincident with the dependingmember 8 of the plate 6, so that the latter will not interfere with themovement of the movable plate 43. The end supporting pin 22 of the plate6 is coincident with this slot, while the pins 22 at the end of theplate nearest the bowler are received in the notches 47 of the plate 43,as will be readily seen upon reference to Fig. 4.

In order that the plates 6 and 43 may be immovably held in their fixedrelation in whichever position they are adjusted, I provide suitablemeans, as a removable pin 48, seen in Figs. 1. 2, 3 and 4, engageableincoincident holes in the two plates when in the one position and in ahole 49 in the lowermost plate when in the other position. This movableplate can be readily changed from one position to the other and as itis'mounted to slide accurately in its guides, the holes in the twoplates are sure to aline when the plate 43 has assumed the properposition.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have devised a simple,efiicient, reliable and durable device for the purposes outlined, andwhile the structural embodiment of such invention as herein disclosed iswhat I at the present time consider preferable, it is evident that thesame is subject to changes, variations and modifications in details,proportion of parts,etc., without departing from,

the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages. I,therefore, do not wish to restrict myself to the exact detailshereinbefore set forth, but reserve the right to make such changes,variations and modifications as come properly within the scope of theprotection prayed.

What is claimed as new is r 1. A pin spotting plate and a pivotalmounting therefor, and means to elevate the plate and to at all timesmaintain it in a substantially horizontal position.

2. A pin spotting plate, a pivotal mounting therefor and platecounterbalancing means to elevate the plate and to at all times maintainit in a substantially hori zontal position.

3. A pin spotting plate, a pivotal support therefor, a counterbalancefor the plate, and connections movable with the plate for maintainingthe plate at all times in a substantially horizontal position during itsswing- 7 ing movements.

4. A pin spotting plate, a pivotal support therefor, a counterbalancefor the plate, convfor swinging movement, means for elevating saidplate, and means whereby said plate maintains atall times asubstantially hori-' zontal position.

7 Apin spotting plate, pivotally mounted arms, pivotal connectionsbetween-said arms and the plate near the midlength of the latter, andcounterbalance means connected with said plate.

8. A pin spotting plate, pivotally mounted arms, pivotal connectionsbetween said arms and the plate near the midlength of the latter,counterbalance means connected with said plate, and means tending tohold the plate substantially horizontal during its swinging movement.

9. A pin spotting plate, pivotally mounted arms, pivotal connectionsbetween said arms and the plate, ligaments connected with said plate andcounterbalancing means, and means for insuring substantially horizontalmaintenance of the plate during its swinging movements.

10. A pin spotting plate, a pivotal mounting therefor and means toelevate the plate and to at all times maintain it in a substantiallyhorizontal position, and means for adapting said plate for usewithdifierent sized pins. j

11. A pin spotting plate and a pivotal mounting therefor and means toelevate the plate and to at all times maintain it in a substantiallyhorizontal position, said plate peing formed of relatively movablememers.

12. A pin spotting plate formediof relatively movable separatelyoperable members having cooperating openings adapting the plate for usewith large or small pins.

13. A pin spotting plate formed of relatively movable separatelyoperablemembers having cooperating openings adapting the plate for usewith large or small pins, and means for holding the plates in adjustedposition.

14. A pin spotting plate formed of relatively movable members havingcooperating openings adapting the plate for use with large or smallpins, means for holding the plates in adjusted position, and a pivotalmounting for the plate whereby the latter is given a swinging movement.

15. A pin spotting plate formed of relatively movable members havingcooperating openings adapting the plate for use with large or smallpins, means for holding the plates in adjusted position, a pivotalmounting for the plate whereby the latter is given a swinging movement,and means for maintaining substantially horizontal position of the plateduring all of its movements.

Signed by me at Washington, D. C. this 4th day of March 1912. I

WILLARD M. FARROW, J R.

Witnesses:

E. H. Bonn, M. A. Bone.

